Loving the Land of Israel

I have a confession to make: I'm in love with the Land of Israel. After nearly 18 years living here, through two intifadas, two Gulf Wars, the ups and downs (mostly downs) of Israel's turbulent economy, and a two-and-a-half-year wave of terror which fills me with dread and heartbreak, my ardor for Israel has not abated.

Why do I love Israel? Because I have been to half the world's holy sites. I have meditated in Varanasi, immersed in the sacred headwaters of the Ganges, visited the Vatican, circumambulated the Buddhist stupa in Sarnath, bathed in the waters of Lourdes, trekked to the shrine of the Weeping Madonna in ten feet of snow in the French Alps, and visited remote ashrams in the Himalayas. I felt a sense of exaltation in all of these places.

Only in Israel do I feel the palpable presence of God when I'm looking for a parking space.

But only in Israel do I feel the palpable presence of God when I'm looking for a parking space, when I'm cooking dinner, when I'm hanging laundry, when I'm caught in a traffic jam, when I'm wondering how we'll pay the phone bill.

This should come as no surprise. God explicitly promised in the Torah that He would have a constant, 24/7 connection with the Land of Israel and those who dwell here: "A land that the Lord your God scrutinizes constantly; the eyes of the Lord your God are on it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year." (Deut. 11:12)

Divine Supervision

Most of my friends here in Jerusalem have myriads of stories about how the constant, direct Divine intervention (called in Hebrew hashgacha pratit) reveals itself in their lives. To share just a couple of my own:

When my husband (a musician), and I made aliyah, the law was that new immigrants were entitled to bring in three "lifts" tax-free. This meant that we could ship ourselves major appliances and furnishings from America without having to pay the usual 100% customs—an opportunity too good to pass up. For our third and final lift we bought a microwave, a Maytag dryer, a self-cleaning oven, and everything else we thought we might need for the rest of our lives. When, back in Israel, we calculated the cost of all we had bought plus the shipping charge and insurance, we were $2100 short.

I prayed to God to cover the shortfall. After all, we had made the purchases for the sake of our life in Israel.

A few days later, an envelope came in the mail from the American Federation of Musicians, Local 47, to which my husband had formerly belonged. The computer printout informed him that reruns from "Face the Music," a TV show he had worked on some ten years before, had been sold to the Christian Broadcasting Network. Enclosed was a check for $2100.

Another story: In Israeli apartments, space is always at a premium. Therefore when we moved into our apartment 14 years ago, I considered myself fortunate that I found two clothes hampers which, in terms of size and shape, exactly fit into the narrow passage between my bedroom and the bathroom where the washing machine is located. After many years of use, one of the two plastic hampers cracked, until it was barely holding together. Its twin was still in perfect condition.

One day I looked at the broken hamper and said to myself: "It's not befitting tifferet Yerushalayim [the splendor of Jerusalem] to have broken stuff in our apartment." But where was I to buy a replacement to match the good hamper? Certainly they weren't making the same hampers any more. Even the store where I had bought the hampers had gone out of business. And what was my chance of finding two new hampers to fit the narrow space?

The next day, a pruning project in my courtyard garden left me with a carton of debris to dispose of. Where I live in the Old City of Jerusalem, we put our garbage in closed garbage rooms, one for every several families. I had not been to our garbage room for many weeks, because my husband takes out the garbage. When I opened the door to the garbage room to dump my carton of prunings, I couldn't believe my eyes. Sitting there was a hamper identical to mine, in mint condition.

Do I mean to say that the Almighty God of heaven and earth involves Himself in my finances and my hampers? Absolutely yes! That is the quality of the Land of Israel: Total engagement. Constant, immediate, detailed Divine supervision. Unrelenting intimacy with the Infinite.

No wonder it's so difficult to live here.

Go To Your True Self

God loves the Land of Israel more than the most fervent Zionist. How do I know? He says so in His Book. Over and over again. No Government of Israel Ministry of Tourism brochure extols Israel as much as the Torah. According to the Torah, Israel isn't simply a great place to visit – or live, but a piece of earth inextricably bound up with the soul of the Jewish people.

God's very first pronouncement to the first Jew, Abraham, is a command to move to Israel. "Go from your land, from your birthplace, from your father's house, to the land that I will show you."[Gen. 12:1]

Going to Israel entails moving towards one's truest, deepest self.

The Hebrew word for "go" – lech – is followed by the word lecha, meaning "to yourself." The classical Biblical commentator Or HaChaim asserts that going to the Land of Israel entails moving towards one's self, one's truest, deepest self.

The covenant which God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob promised two things to their descendents: the eternality of the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.

During God's first revelation to Moses, at the burning bush, He declares that He is aware of the pain of the Children of Israel in their Egyptian bondage. Then God reveals to Moses His plan of redemption: "I have come down to rescue them from the hand of Egypt and to bring them up from that land to a good and expansive land, to a land flowing with milk and honey... " [Ex. 3:8]

The Exodus was not only from a state of slavery to a state of freedom, but from a place called Egypt to a place which would later be called the Land of Israel. Coming to Israel was an integral part of the Redemption. A people who had entered into a special relationship with God and who had witnessed open miracles and who had been given the Torah could reside only in this particular location, the Land of Israel.

Throughout the Torah, Israel is referred to as an "eretz rechava," meaning a land that is spacious or expansive. This is almost amusing, because Israel is a tiny land, about the size of the state of New Jersey. Even in ancient Mesopotamia, Israel was a sliver of land mass surrounded by large empires. Our rabbis tell us that rechava is not meant as a geographical description, but rather as a spiritual description. Israel is "expansive" because it expands the person who lives there.

Only in the Land of Israel

Judaism is the only religion in the world connected to a specific country. Other religions have sacred sites, rivers, and springs, but Judaism maintains that every inch of Israel within the Biblical borders (does not include Eilat and most of the Negev) is holy.

This has immense practical ramifications for the practice of Judaism. For instance, all the agricultural mitzvot (the commandments to tithe produce, let the land lie fallow every seven years, etc.) apply only in the land of Israel. As Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller is fond of saying: "A tomato which grows in the Land of Israel is holier than the manna which fell in the desert." Why? Because mitzvot apply to that tomato. And mitzvot are a Jew's direct way to bond with God.

In bestowing many of the mitzvot of the Torah, God begins by saying, "When you come into the land... " Nachmanides, the great 13th century sage, claimed that the mitzvot of the Torah could be properly fulfilled only in the Land of Israel. Performing mitzvot outside the Land, he wrote, was merely for the sake of keeping in practice, so that when the Jewish people return to the Land, they will know what to do.

The Kuzari describes God's plan to cultivate the Jewish people as a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" as akin to planting a vineyard. A vineyard needs four things: vines, land, sun, and rain. The Kuzari explains that the vines are the Jewish people, the land is the Land of Israel, the sun is Divine Providence (hasgacha pratit), and the rain is the Torah. Clearly, if one plants French vines in the Napa valley, they will yield different grapes. Just so, the Jewish people anywhere outside of Israel cannot fulfill its Divine purpose and potential.

The very soil of Israel possesses a certain spiritual vitality. Many Jews from the Diaspora feel a soul-awakening when they come to Israel, or to Jerusalem, or to the Western Wall. The Wall, which sits at the base of the Temple Mount and is the remaining vestige of the Second Temple, has not a single spiritual trapping. No frescos, no incense, no music, no awesome architecture. Yet the Shechina, the Presence of God, is so tangible there that few fail to feel it.

God's Special Place

Imagine a lover taking his beloved to his "special place." Carrying a basket packed with wine and bread, as they walk along he regales her with descriptions of his secret trysting place. "It's so beautiful, so quiet, so remote, like another world. You'll love it."

Finally they reach the spot, an isolated clearing in the forest. She takes one look and sneers, "This? This is your special place? There's nothing here! There's not even a bench to sit on! Not even a picnic table! Do you expect me to sit on the ground and get my skirt dirty? And there are insects crawling on the grass. I hate insects!"

If the beloved rejects the lover's special place, what are the prospects for their relationship?

The Torah recounts how in the second year after the Exodus, the Israelites arrived at the borders of the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve spies sent to reconnoiter the Land gave a negative report, and the people refused "to make aliyah." The sages say that this sin, the rejection of the Land of Israel, was in some ways more grievous than the sin of worshipping the Golden Calf. After the incident of the Golden Calf, Moses went back to the summit of Mt. Sinai and pleaded for Divine forgiveness, which was granted. However, we have never been forgiven for the sin of rejecting the Land of Israel.

If the beloved rejects the lover's special place, what are the prospects for their relationship?

So Much More Than Nationalism

One way to reject Israel is to refuse to live here. There is another, more pernicious way to reject God's special place: to treat it as a piece of real estate like any other.

Imagine that the lover brings his beloved to his special place of rendezvous. She looks at it and exclaims: "It's beautiful! We can turn it into a real estate development. We could probably divide it into a dozen plots, 50 by 60 each."

Israel is not just another piece of real estate.

The Land of Israel is not about nationalism. The goal of "making Israel a country like all other countries" violates its very essence. Imagine the city planners of Florence deciding to do away with the priceless works of art throughout the city in order to make Florence "a city like all other cities." The priceless treasure of Israel is its unique Jewish identity, its spiritual power, its holiness.

The Land of Israel is not about having a refuge from anti-Semitism. That goal has backfired. Israel is the only country in the world today where many Jews are being killed because they are Jews.

The Land of Israel is not about having a place where Jews are in charge. Yes, Israel has a Jewish President, a Jewish Prime Minister, Jewish legislators, mayors, and bureaucrats. It also has Jewish criminals and Jewish drug addicts.

The Land of Israel is the place that God has designated for His rendezvous with the Jewish people.

Sara Yoheved Rigler is a popular international lecturer on subjects of Jewish spirituality. She has given lectures and workshops in Israel, England, France, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Panama, and over 35 American cities. She is one of the most popular authors on Aish.com, world’s biggest Judaism website, and is a columnist for Ami Magazine. Sara Yoheved Rigler is the author of five best-sellers: Holy Woman; Lights from Jerusalem; Battle Plans: How to Fight the Yetzer Hara (with Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller); G-d Winked; and Heavenprints . She gives a weekly Marriage Webinar for Jewish Workshops on a spiritual approach to marriage, with hundreds of members throughout the world. She lives in the Old City of Jerusalem. Her newest book, Emunah with Love and Chicken Soup, the story of Henny Machlis, the Brooklyn-born girl who became a Jerusalem legend, was was released in November, 2016. Her website is: sararigler.com.

I am not Jew... but after doing a lot of reading and studying about Jews, Judaism and Israel, I have fallen in love with Israel and Judaism. I wish I am Jew, I wish I can speak Hebrew, I wish I live in Israel.....

(45)
Louise,
April 24, 2012 7:02 PM

I made aliyah 3 months ago, I came only with clothes. I know that something very special is happening! I haven"t been in need, at all, furniture, refrigerator etc seem to fall from heaven, I believe that I am being cared for, I feel G-d's presence and love in my life now.I have never been religious or felt these things before coming here.

(44)
Superyalda,
April 23, 2012 2:27 PM

Small miracles

I have two more similar stories to add to your hashgachat pratit. I came here as a single mother in '99 with two young boys and nearly nothing else. I had a bunk bed for them. The kibbutz gave me an old mattress for me to sleep on. When I put the bunk be in their tiny room, the ladder was blocked so they couldn't climb up. I figured I'd take some rope and sticks and make a ladder. I walked around the kibbutz in search of wooden sticks and instead found a bunk bed ladder which fit perfectly on their bed! I was shocked! What are the chances?
The kibbutz had also given me an old refrigerator, the kind with the rounded top. It sounded like a helicopter and was painted tangerine orange. It looked retro but my milk went bad within a day. I was wondering how I would continue like this. And I certainly didn't have money for even a used refrigerator. One morning, I woke up and opened the front door. There was a refrigerator there! On my mirpeset! A Westinghouse! Apparently, a friend of a friends mother had renovated and somehow word got to her that I needed a refrigerator. I never met her. She also arranged the shipment!
There were many more. Those two stories are the first two that come to mind.
Yes, we are being watched over with love.

(43)
Lea,
May 9, 2011 12:31 AM

I love Israel

I was blessed to be able to live in Israel for two years. I couldn't stay, because I was not able to prove my Jewish background. The first time I stepped on to the plaza next to the Western Wall, I burst into tears. The presence of G-d was indeed tangible. Whenever I sense that, I cry. I cried at the airport going through security, and they were baffled and told me not to be upset, they would let me come back to visit! One day (I believe soon) Messiah will come and redeem Israel and the world. Thank you for this wonderful article.

Steve,
April 10, 2013 10:23 AM

Who you are and what you feel is what's important.

Dear Lea, I'm sorry you were not allowed to stay in the land you love. What is in your heart and soul is more important than heritage. I hope that you can return as soon as possible to Israel. Israel needs people like you who feel the presence of G-d. Wishing you all the best!

Anonymous,
April 11, 2013 8:17 AM

very strange

This is a very strange story. There are so many non-Jews here. Tens of thousands of Russian immigrants, about half of the Ethiopians, and many more. Are you Jewish? Perhaps you could check with one of those gene websites - I think there's one called jewishgene.com, or something like that.

(42)
BTK,
May 1, 2009 6:46 AM

Exactly What I Needed to Read

Earlier this week I was having a discussion with a close friend who has become disillusioned by what she considered "great" about Israel, and came to the conclusion that living here or living in the States is no different. (And just as a footnote: she made Aliyah, and has had a love-affair with Israel since a young age). She argued that one can be JUST as spiritual abroad as they can be here, as she has not yet found her 'calling' here in Israel in regards to a shul, shurim, Rabbis or friends. She argues that the bureaucracy here is unchangeable and the language proves difficult to learn, even WITH having attended Ulpan 3 times. So why bother uprooting your life, and your childrens' lives, in order to come to a land that has just as many problems as the one you're in- or more! Why bother overhauling your life when Mashiach hasn't come yet? To all of these arguments I could not disagree. The government is disappointing, ahavat chinam isn't completely rolling yet, pushy-rude people can be easily found. The only point I could make was that here in Israel- Hashem's presence is palpable. He wants us here, here where we can feel him in our everyday lives. How apropos that this article show up on Aish.com within a few days of this conversation! I forwarded it to her immediately!

(41)
ross,
April 30, 2009 8:11 AM

Hard to read your article

It''s hard for me to read articles like this when I am insanely jealous of people who have the merit to live in Israel. Even though we have a psak - halachik decision not to make aliyah for certain reasons, and therefore that means that Gd wants us in (ugh) America, it still crushes my heart when I''m reminded of all that we''re missing. (Sigh.)

(40)
Avi,
April 29, 2009 2:40 PM

Nationalism

This is a beautiful article and it truly spoke to my heart. I would, however, take issue with your comment: "It's not about nationalism." Of course, in context you are 100% correct. It's not about being a nation in a land like all other nations. However, there are those of us who define Nationalism as being G-d's nation in His land. That, I would argue, is very much a part of the picture. Thank you.

(39)
Elisheva,
April 27, 2009 12:36 AM

My husband and I merited to live in Yerushalayim for 2 and a half years. We have now been back in America for almost two years. As time passes I become more and more comfortable with life in America. Until I read articles such as this one. Stories and biblical quotes of the holy city that reawaken the longing and passion for life in Eretz Yisroel and reignite the feeling of loss that unfortunately not all of us can be there yet.

(38)
Rita Goldstone,
April 26, 2009 8:49 AM

Aliyah Plans Reawakened

I had been preparing to make Aliyah for over a year now. Somehow over the last few months, I started second-guessing myself. Maybe this wasnt the time? Maybe I have to save more money first? Now, after reading your article, I am back on track....and I remember exactly why I want to make Aliyah.
Thank you so much for that essay. It helped put me back on track!

(37)
Joseph,
January 28, 2008 9:25 AM

Great Article

I've been privileged to live in Jerusalem for over one and half years now and I couldn't have put it better. Jerusalem, the most beautiful city in the world.

(36)
Moshe,
August 13, 2007 8:06 PM

That's how it should be

The $2100 in the mail, the exact same laundry basket delivered to you in mint condition, that is how things should be. That should be the natural connection between the Jewish people and G-d. As long as G-d's presence is not felt dwelling among the Jewish people in Israel, we have yet to have fully restored our relationship with G-d to normal. Do not think that how things are today is acceptable. All the people in the land of Israel should have a close relationship with G-d. And that is how it will for all the Jews in the land of Israel in future days.

(35)
Sheina,
October 31, 2005 12:00 AM

I enjoyed the article...

I really enjoyed reading this article. I've never been to Eretz Yisroel, and I'm longing to go. Your article really showed the beauty in the land.

(34)
Shira,
May 14, 2005 12:00 AM

My Heart aches to live in this beautiful place!!!!

I am coming!!!!! I would give anything to be there right now.

(33)
Anonymous,
May 14, 2005 12:00 AM

GREAT AND INSPIRATIONAL

One of the greatest and purest form of confession one can make -"I'm in love with the Land of Israel" at this time and age.
This article examplifies the epitomy of Seeing the Good, Recognizing the Good, Living the Good, and Appreciating the Good and the Promised Goodness that the Almighty has promised about for generations!
Thank you, Mrs. Rigler for having the courage to come out and share with the world(at the same time performing Kiddush Hashem-Sanctification of G-ds Holy name) such a DEEP and INSPIRATIONAL LOVE FOR THE LAND OF ISRAEL.May there be a time very soon with the arrival of Mashiach that We All join together in brother/sisterhood, and peace in the Holy City of Yerushalayim and once again hear the "Leveim sing".

(32)
JENNIFER S.,
May 10, 2005 12:00 AM

wELL WRITTEN, THOUGHT PROVOKING AS WELL AS TOUCHING ARTICLE

Living outside Eretz Yisrael and reading this article, (as well as many of the other Israel articles on AISH.COM this week) only make me want to be there even more!
Thanks for helping to awaken these feelings.

(31)
Anonymous,
May 9, 2005 12:00 AM

gevaldik -- amazing

moving-it touches the heart

(30)
Anonymous,
May 8, 2005 12:00 AM

Inspiring

An inspiring commenntary. Thank you, Sara.

(29)
Menashe Kaltmann,
May 8, 2005 12:00 AM

I love Aretz also!

A good article again Mrs Rigler and aish.com!
My last trip to Aretz was ~18 months ago! It was the first time in 15 long years (unfortunately) I had been to Israel.
I live here in Australia and we are so far(!) away from Aretz. It takes more than one day of travel to go from Melbourne to Tel Aviv!
The Australian Jewish Community is generally very pro-Israel and about 10% of all Australian Jews have gone on aliyah.
The number of Israelis that come Down Under is in its thousands and one Shule here in Melbourne had for Seder ~450-500 Israelis.
I wish Australia wasn't so far from Aretz! Please G-d let us hope that Moshiach will come speedily in our days and we should all met ASAP in Yerushalim!

(28)
Anonymous,
May 6, 2004 12:00 AM

i too love erets yisroel and miss it every day. my heart aches when i think about it and when i look at pictures of it's beauty. i daven every day that i be able to return to the land. thank you for your wonderful article.

(27)
vera,
April 30, 2004 12:00 AM

Love Israel, love the land, love the people

I spent 3 weeks in Israel in July/Aug 2001 - it is during that time that the pizzeria in Jerusalem was bombed...
I was in the Old City when Israel removed the PLO flag from East Jerusalem... I experienced some deep spiritual moments in the land.. and when I flew away I cried and sobbed for 3 hours on the El Al plane to London... I hope to return soon...and perhaps be able to stay for longer...

(26)
Peter Roberts,
April 27, 2004 12:00 AM

The heart of G-d revealed

A most heart warming article, showing the incredible faithfulness of G-d to His people. But I do question the comment of Sara's that 'we have never been forgiven for the sin of rejecting the Land of Israel.'
Whta do you mean Sara? I would reckon that non-forgiveness on this issue, as serious as it was, would negate the very nature of G-d, who reiterates over and over again throughout the Bible that He always forgives those who seek Him in contrition and honesty. If He didn't forgive this, why then has He enacted Aliyah? Why did He cause the formation of the Nation in a day? Surely His favour is on His people, in spite of the current events. And even though all His people are not in submission to him, that day will come, and soon at that!

(25)
betti miner,
April 27, 2004 12:00 AM

My Israel

Thank you Sara, for your beautiful words about Israel. I could not have said it better. I too want to make aliyah with my husband. I fell in love with Israel in 1996 when we went there for a three-week tour. I hope to return there as a new olim. Thank you.

(24)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2004 12:00 AM

Eloquently written and thoughtful.

A beautifully written article which provides a wonderful way at "looking" at the land of Israel.

(23)
Anonymous,
April 26, 2004 12:00 AM

Israel permeates who how

Many Jews in Israel and in the diaspora have not expeienced a "soul awakening" in Jerusalem , At the wall or anywhere else in Israel. In the guise of nationalism,as a refuge from antisemitism, or as a land where Jews are seemingly in charge Israel also works.

(22)
Rodger Bodle,
April 26, 2004 12:00 AM

Eretz Yisrael

TRUTH BEYOND WORDS. I also fell in love with the Eretz Yisrael, especially "Yerushalayim" [Jerusalem].
In 1991, 15 New Zealanders volunteered for the SAR-EL Voluntary Service and soon found ourselves at T'zeleem, an IDF Base, 30 km South from Beer-Sheva in the Negev.
Here we made new friends, learned Torah from the base Rabbi, and also Jewish culture. On our weekends off we visited anywhere within the country, often finding ourselves in Jerusalem inwhich we felt the Almighty presence of G-d.
Today, if anyone asked me, "What was it like in Israel? Was there anything special about Jerusalem"?
My answer has always been, "I shall never forget the land of Israel and the Jewish people, and ever since she has always been in my prayers and in my thoughts.
As for the Holy City of Jerusalem, there is no place on earth where one feels the Almighty's presence, especially at the Western Wall."
Personally, I can relate to the action of G-d, as the author had previously mentioned.
ONE - the Israel Embassy invited me to join the 1st Sar-El Voluntary Programme to go from from New Zealand. I wanted to go, so I ask Hashem to give me a sign that He wanted me to go. The next day while walking down the main street in our city I found five cents on the pavement so I picked it up and discovered it was an Israeli shekel. [The chances are a billion to one of that ever happening again in this city let alone the entire country].
TWO - Now I knew that He wanted me to go but I couldn't aford the cost to fly to Israel and return [New Zealand is the furtherest Islands from Israel]. So I asked Him again, "Could He somehow provide the cost for me to travel to Israel and return". A few weeks later the company I worked for, closed. A few weeks later I received a cheque in the mail for redundancy payment which enabled me to fly to Israel.
"The Holy City of King David 3000 years old", was the quote that was given to us while we were there, but it was the City's uniqueness of that Special Spiritual feeling of G-d, that will remain with me forever.
Yes, I also fell in love with Israel and the old city of Jerusalem.
I will never forget the kindness that was shown by the people ofIsrael to our "Kiwi" group from "down-under".

(21)
Peter Sherwood,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

Israel breaks my heart...

Thank you for a beautiful piece reflecting a beautiful land, a gift from the Ancient of Days. I have just returned from my first trip to Israel and my heart is so blessed and so broken. I can't tell which is which and am not sure it matters but this I know that I know: this land is where Heaven has, does and will again kiss the the Earth. I am a 47 year old Englishman and I wept like a river for the first four days (and beyond) and the only explanation I can offer is this: the manifest goodness of God. I am Christian who is coming to understand that the Jews are my elder brother from whom I have much to learn and for whom I have an ever growing yearning to sit together with in unity.
The scripture that I long to enact is in Isaiah 40 where it says "...Speak tenderley to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins."
Peace to you

Peter Sherwood

(20)
LORRAINE UVEGES,
April 25, 2004 12:00 AM

I CRIED!!!

YOUR ARTICLE HAS TOUCHED ME DEEPLY!! MY DREAM TO GO TO ISRAEL HAS BEEN WITH ME SINCE I WAS A CHILD...TO LIVE THERE, OH TO LIVE THERE....MAY G-D MAKE A WAY...THANKS,FROM LORRAINE

(19)
Joseph K.,
May 13, 2003 12:00 AM

Thank you very much dear Aish!
All the best.

(18)
meira,
May 13, 2003 12:00 AM

An open prayer...

An open prayer to Hashem to please grant me and my family the chance to travel to Israel SOON! My heart knows the truth of what Sara has written, even though I have not yet been there.

(17)
Windy,
May 13, 2003 12:00 AM

The Passion of your story ignites my love to go!!

I have wanted to move to Israel since about 1999. My love grew so strong, my children and husband want to move there also! I have friends that have just moved there and I am so anxious to go!
Thank you for your article as I too agree it is not just a piece of land and I am truly blessed to know others feel the way I do also!

(16)
Donald Berry,
May 11, 2003 12:00 AM

"Road Map for Peace" is Flawed!

Shalom Sara,

I read your wonderful and timely article, and immediately sent the link to it to Sen. Boxer of California (who is Jewish) so that she could pass it along to President Bush, so that he will at least know that his "Road Map" is flawed, i.e., that 'the Land' should NOT be traded for peace, and secondly that there is no moral equivalency between the terrorism that the Israeli Arabs use against the Jewish Israelis, and that the deadly force which the IDF must sometimes use to prevent Arab terrorists from killing more Jews is fully justified!

May Hashem bless you for your wonderful article, and continue to protect you and your family, and all Israel! May the Mashiach come speedily within our days!

Blessings,

Donald Berry

(15)
Valerie,
May 10, 2003 12:00 AM

Thanks for clarifying the reasons Jews should move to Israel

I teach a "Modern Israel" class to about 60 sixth graders. This article will be used in our next class. It is clear and direct, stating essence of why Israel is important to Jews and why we should all live there. I love the way Ms. Rigler writes and I appreciate this article's direct, no-nonsense style.

(14)
betti miner,
May 10, 2003 12:00 AM

well stated

I too fell in love with the State of Israel in 1996. I was in tears when we boarded the Air Canada 767 to fly back to the US. Lech Lecha was our Torah portion when we both made B'nei Mitvah two years before as adults. I hear those words speak to me but my husband is not ready for aliyah yet. Sara's account of her life there is realistic, I know that life will be different for us than here in San Francisco. For one thing there will not be the homeless at our doorstep and their messes they left behind from the night before. Everyone should have a home, a place to stay where they do not use our front door for their bathrooms. I pray for the day when we can make aliyah and leave this behind. Happy Birthday to our Beloved Land, Israel 55!!!!! Thanks.

(13)
Leslie Morgan,
May 7, 2003 12:00 AM

Beautiful insight inline with Israel Independence

Thanks for the great insight on Israel. I was looking for some commentary on holiness and Israel to link my class discussion with the Torah portion of the week and Yom Haatzmaot. Thanks.

(12)
Leta,
May 6, 2003 12:00 AM

Thank you for the inspiration

Thank you for this beautiful and inspiring article. I have never been to Israel but I love it nonetheless. For reasons I cannot go into in this note, I cannot travel that distance now, but I could not articulate to others why I feel as I do about Israel, my support for and devotion to our homeland. Your article articulated what I have felt (minus the "living there" part) and would love to inspire in my American Jewish friends and family. Unfortunately, in their effort to be politically correct, I guess they think its not ok to love Israel because it shows "partiality" to our own people. G-d forbid!! Anyway, thank you for the inspiration. I found your article by chance on the internet.

(11)
Caryn,
May 5, 2003 12:00 AM

Your article was a much needed brocha

I made Aliyah with my family almost one year ago. While being observant our motivations were not Zionistic as such, but rather because my husband is Israeli, we felt it would be a sensible choice to go to a country where one of us could " hit the ground running" . I have felt very challenged about being positive and remaining in Israel and so much of your article has seen into my very soul. I hope and pray that your article is the impetus to change the way I see things, and allows me to become 100% dedicated to living here.
Thank you.

(10)
Alex Huzau,
May 5, 2003 12:00 AM

Congratulations!
This is the most wonderful article I ever read about Israel...!

(9)
Anonymous,
May 5, 2003 12:00 AM

When yhe breeze blows...

When the breeze blew gently through the grass on a hill in Jerusalem in 1970, I felt the past longing of the sages for dialogue with Ha Shem...

(8)
Tzippi,
May 5, 2003 12:00 AM

When, if not today ?

We should remember that for about 2000 years it was for most Jews almost impossible to make Aliyah or even to just visit Eretz Israel. Throughout all this time there were people who longed for it and dreamed of it. Aren´t we fortunate to have this tremendous opportunity today ?

(7)
Shira Levin,
May 5, 2003 12:00 AM

Israel is a special place where heaven and earth meet

I have been to Israel 5 times. Four times on tours and one time as a volun-
teer on a kibbutz. Each time it became
harder to have to leave. The presence
of G-d is tangible. I especially felt it in Jerusalem and at the Western Wall.
I am saving up money to, hopefully soon, to return.

(6)
bunny 05-05-03,
May 5, 2003 12:00 AM

my dream

When a very young child my dream was to live in Palestine. It never came to pass. However, on the event of my 65th birthday, I decided to buy myself my very own birthday gift. That was my very first trip to the holy land. At which point I was fortunate enough to enjoy two more trips. They took place in the year 1997-98-99, I travelled with Jewish National Fund all three times and never experienced such a warm and deep feeling as I did those three trips. When my first trip began, the kotel was when I felt closet to Hashem, when I felt I was home at last, when I felt the depth of my soul was with Hashem, when I felt so VERY VERY COMPLETE as a human being! I must say my feelings have never felt the same before or since and I pray I should beable to make alyeh one day soon. I feel that only in Eretz Isroel do I belong and that my home is there and though my children and family are in Canada with me, my final days will have to be in Eretz Isroel. I am seventy-one now and still hope and pray my dream comes true. It came true for me those three trips, my last and final one has to be to make alyiah.

(5)
Kim,
May 4, 2003 12:00 AM

Beautiful article!

I'm sending it to everyone I know. Of course, you know I read everything you write and I appreciate your articles immensely!

(4)
Chaya,
May 4, 2003 12:00 AM

This is it

Last week Aish asked, "What is your connection to Israel?" This article is the response I could not articulate. It is feeling that Hashem is present in the marketplaces, in the breezes that blow over the many hills, in the warmth of the seas.

Recently, I came with a few others from my shul to bring a little bit of Pesach to the residents of an assisted living home. We sang songs and I ended with Hatikvah. Even those in wheelchairs and walkers struggled to stand and sing.

Why Israel? Because these folks and so many of us experience in our hearts and souls is so real. And we have the good fortune to know it first hand.

(3)
Bob Hathaway,
May 4, 2003 12:00 AM

Not only Jews

Beautiful article. Not only Jews feel the Presence of HaShem in Israel. Anyone who loves G-d can feel an overwhelming Presence there as I have. I can't wait to return.

(2)
Uriela Sagiv,
May 4, 2003 12:00 AM

I agree with every word

I agree with every word -- every dot, dash, and comma. I hope this article reaches the hearts and souls of all the Jews who arent't lucky enough to be here YET.

(1)
devorah streicher,
May 4, 2003 12:00 AM

nothing like the land of Israel

Dear Sara, What a fabulous article. And what a fabulous land. It seems like yesterday that we returned from the sukkos holiday where the whole family stayed in Jerusalem for two weeks. Just like you expressed, the simple task of choosing groceries is just so spiritual.

Ever since I read your writings in Aish.com's book Heaven on Earth, I meant to contact you. You are an exceptional person.